Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋
If you're looking to have a nice evening with friends, enjoying a delicious Italian meal in a great atmosphere, then this is the place for you!
The big bonus of the night is that when we arrived for our reservation, the hostess gave us our choice of seating and, on such a lovely summer evening, there was no question we'd choose anything but outside dining. So Rebecca and I had a cute table for two along the sidewalk, and shortly after a waiter greeted us with a bread basket, oil, and the rose we had ordered. As far as the bread basket goes, the bread itself was fresh and had great flavor and texture. I did not care as much for the Parmesan bread sticks - I would have preferred they were spongier - but if a crisp bread stick is more your speed, then I definitely wouldn't knock them. The oil they gave us had a tomato base but was very thin, which soaked the bread with a nice, light flavor and didn't weight it down with marinara chunks. We were most pleased with the wine because it was a good rose, not too sweet and not too heavy, and they gave us a great pour for the price - not a skimpy overpriced city pour but a healthy serving for $13.
The reason L'Angolo gets four stars rather than five is due only to service. Even in that area, the service was not exactly bad, it was just weird. That is truly the only word to describe it. Specifically, the waiter did not seem to know etiquette about dropping or picking up the bill, when to remove plates, and how to properly offer us more to increase our total while still being polite about it. I have worked in the food industry for seven years, so maybe I am sensitive to the rules, but Rebecca agreed he made each interaction awkward. I think any client would have been a bit startled by his abrupt service and gruff manner. Still, it did not put a huge damper on the dinner at all. Hopefully, he was a new hire who just needs a bit more training.
The food was fantastic. The menu was not too extensive but still offered an assortment of different pasta, poultry, meat, and vegetarian hors d'oeuvres and entrees, so no matter your preference, you can find something to suit your taste. I ended up ordering the risotto with saffron, shrimp, and asparagus, purely out of nostalgia and love for the host mom I lived with my semester abroad in Florence, Italy. She was a phenomenal cook who originally came from a small town outside of Milan, and she would cook the most delicious risotto Milanese for dinner sometimes. When I saw the restaurant offered a saffron risotto, I was sold. Added bonus was that I do not usually get to eat seafood like shrimp, but I love it, and I do not normally have the time to cook a somewhat more time-consuming dish like risotto fir dinner. The risotto fulfilled all my wishes for a special meal, as the saffron brought out the sweet flavor of the crisp asparagus and paired well with the wonderfully-cooked shrimp - just the right amount of chew. I mopped up the remaining sauce with some of that leftover bread and was perfectly content. It was not my host mom's, but it was probably as close as I'll ever be able to get without being the real thing.
I definitely recommend L'Angolo to anyone tripping through the Tribeca area. The menu had so many good options that I am looking forward to trying on a return trip at some point in the future. I am so happy to have spent such a fantastic evening there, eating delicious food and chatting for two hours on a balmy summer night. Absolute. Perfection.
XX,
MK
P.S. Ladies, you've got to go just to check out the fun unicorn art in the bathroom - it was such a quirky find and I am so about it!
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